On a side note, amid the assigned readings for the semester, I’ve also been reading through N. T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope as I prepare to lead our Sunday night study through it in a couple of weeks. So far, I love it! His style, at least in this book, is very fluid and easy to read and he demonstrates a knowledge that spans a wide landscape. Of course, most who read Wright probably already know this. What captures my attention most, however, is his critique of what we might call mansion-in-the-sky eschatology, something with which I resonate loudly!

I’ve also begun reading Elie Wiesel’s Night, a short account of the author’s experience of surviving the Nazi death camps. Just through the opening pages and you already feel the weight of what must be an unimaginable burden the author bears. John Anderson said this book “should be required reading for the entire human race,” and so far it looks to be deeply stirring.